Planet Formation contracting cloud forms stars swirling disk of material around forming star (H, He, C, O, heavier elements, molecules, dust ) form planets New born star heats up material, blows away solar nebula planets (or at least protoplanets, size of asteroids) need to form before material dissipates We will do a simple model of planet formation around a single star (not binary system) and then go over state of exoplanet discoveries 1
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see disks around new stars in Orion nebula where planets are probably being formed 3
Planet Formation II material condensates if cool enough (gas liquid/solid) heavier elements (metals, silicates=silicon+oxygen+carbon) condense first, at higher temperatures, then molecules like water. H and He remain gases density and temperature falls with distance from star. Planet formation occurs when not too far and not too close from newborn star snow line separates type of planets being formed 4
Temperature in early Solar Nebula 5
snow line in early Solar Nebula Very, very simplistic. Rocky planets form closer to the Sun where temperature is higher. Further away cold enough for ice to form. There is more water and methane in nebula than silicon oxides and so much more ice giving larger planets further away 6
Planet Formation III condensation starts, protoplanets grow in size -objects collide; stick together. See fossils of these collisions as craters on the Moon over millions of years sweep out most smaller objects as collide with larger objects existing planets only ~circular orbits won t collide any further (asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter) Possible motion of planets to/from star may be critical. We will skip 7
planetisimals (dust grains) protoplanets by accretion, collisions, gravity smaller objects stick together. Took 400 million years or so 8
Planet Formation IV close to star: planets = heavy elements (iron,silicon) -water may be trapped at beginning in dust grains/rocks or come later from comets hitting surface or both??? further from star: Gas Giants ices (water H 2 O, methane CH 4 ) froze out early larger protoplanets more material to accrete studying comets, meteors, asteroids can give clues as they have composition of early solar system 9
Craters on Moon (and other planets moons) are fossil remnants of collisions in early solar system 10
Earth s composition. Mercury has more metals (70%) and less silicates (30%) SILICATES=Rocks: 11
rocky planets have higher densities. Sun and Jupiter have similar compositions (H+He) and densities due to very high pressure. Neptune and Uranus are more water 12
Extra Slide Good poster 13
Planetary Atmospheres composition of a planet s atmosphere depends on Surface Gravity Temperature light atoms/molecules move faster than heavy molecules if velocity >= escape velocity gas leaves planet Mercury, Moon: all gases escape Earth: lightest gases (H,He) escape. Why Helium is rare on Earth Jupiter: none escape Atmosphere necessary for life-as-we-know-it. Provides steady warm temperature, protects from solar radiation 14
Familiar Molecules molecule mass H 2 hydrogen 2 He helium 4 CH4 methane 16 NH3 ammonia 17 H20 water 18 N2 nitrogen 28 O2 oxygen 32 CO carbon monoxide 28 CO2 carbon dioxide 44 15
Atmosphere of Venus vs Earth 96.5% CO2, 3% N2 runaway greenhouse effect due to carbon dioxide and higher pressure. Very hot, hotter than what one would expect compared to Earth due to just Venus being closer to the Sun 78% N2, 21% O2, 0.04% CO2, ~1% H20. most CO2 absorbed by oceans 16
Atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn ammonia, sulfuric acid, water interiors are helium and hydrogen, core of ice/rock PHYS 162 17
Atmosphere Titan, moon of Saturn Titan has ~90% nitrogen rest mostly methane and argon; pressure similar to Earth but lower temperature. Maybe like Earth s early atmosphere PHYS 162 18
Lecture Feedback E-mail me a few sentences describing one topic you learned from this set of presentations. Please include the phrase Rocky planets are formed near a new star as the temperature is higher in your mini-report but do not use that as your one topic. 19